Ayodhya case litigant Iqbal Ansari receives invitation for Ram Temple consecration ceremony

Iqbal Ansari, a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, was on Friday extended an invitation to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple. The invitation was handed over to him at his residence situated in Kotia Panjitola.

In a video posted by news agency ANI, Ansari was seen receiving the invitation to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple scheduled for January 22. Speaking to ANI after receiving the invitation Iqbal Ansari said, “...I am happy that the idol of Lord Ram is going to be installed...Ayodhya is the land of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian harmony. It will always remain intact...The Supreme Court gave a verdict and the Muslims across the country respected it. There was no protest or demonstration anywhere...People of Ayodhya are happy, I am happy too...”

Ansari was also the first to receive the invitation card for the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ of Ram temple in Ayodhya. His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the land dispute case, died at the age of 95 in 2016, after which Iqbal started pursuing the case in court.

Ansari was one of the many individuals who stood in line to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Ayodhya on December 30. In one of the videos captured during PM's roadshow in Ayodhya Iqbal was seen showering flowers on the former's convoy.

"He (Modi) has come to our place. He is our guest and our Prime Minister," Iqbal said, speaking about PM Modi's visit to the temple town.

Ayodhya is preparing for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Temple on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremony. More than 7,000 guests, including cricketers and Bollywood stars, are expected to grace the ceremony.

The Ram Temple complex, constructed in the traditional Nagara style, will measure 380 feet in length (east-west direction), 250 feet in width, and 161 feet in height.

With inputs from ANI